jeepopie

I have a clicking sound in my 1996 jeep transfer case. It has never been off-road and only have used 4wd maybe 10 times each year because of sand or snow. The same clicking occured in 2001 and I had a new Mopar transfer case installed and the noise disappeared until this week. My question is can anyone predict the consequences if I say "the heck with the noise" and drive the jeep without transfer case replacement for months or years to come. What is the downside? What is the worst that could happen? thanks, Opie

Skreed

What kind of trans case and when does it click?

MasterShakeXJ

so the clicking noise is there even after you had the previous tcase replaced? if that's so, then it might not be the tcase.

jeepopie

clicking is only heard at 2wd idle and either goes away or can not be heard at higher 2wd speeds. I have read everything I can find here and I do not have noise during 2wd shifts or in any of the 4wd positions other than at idle. I suppose the click is still there but too soft to be heard at higher RPMS. It certainly doesn't sound "grinding" or "clunking" or "violent". I took it to a trusted mechanic in 2001 and he said to replace it immediately which I did. Now, being a bit short of cash and with the Jeep 13 years old, I am hesitant to replace it (it was $1250 back in 2001). As for the type of transfer case, can't say, but it is silver and only moves the front driveshaft if engaged in 4wd.
On edit - I drained the ATF and it was full and clean red. I replaced the ATF to the top of fill hole. No other leaks anywhere from tranny or transfer case. All is really great with my Jeep and the noise is minor. I just don't want to endanger my new granddaughter or others by going on trips if something bad could happen. I have AAA so a soft grind to a stop would not be the end of the world, but I am hoping some expert here could give some timeline of what the future holds for me and my t. case...

Skreed

So your saying you hear a clicking noise when your not moving?

jeepopie

yes, I can only hear it when I am am at idle. I can hear it while sitting in the car. When I get out and crawl under the car and put my ear near the engine, tranny and case, I can easily say it is coming from the transfer case.
On edit - I just went out to the driveway and did the following: Ran the car with the parking brake on and did all gears in 2wd and 4wd and then idle with 2wd and 4wd and higher rpms in idle.
- The noise is best described as a rattle. Sorry I called it a click because it is closer to a rattle, the same I heard one time when my water pump was going bad. The rattle goes away when I rev up the rpms.
- I put my ear under the car and it is definitely the transfer case.
- Putting the shifter(s) in all the above positions did absolutely nothing to the rattle. It was the same in every gear.

If it is a ring or chain and it falls apart, does it just fall to the bottom of the case and sit there or could it lock up the drive train and be a bad situation? I know my question is dumb. I need to either replace or repair it, I suppose. I just don't want to...... If it was clunking or rattling in upper rpms, I would be more concerned.

Skreed

I don't really see how noise could be coming from your t case when your not moving. There no moving parts when your not moving I don't think. You can put your truck on jack stands and move the drive shafts and see what kinda noise your getting. I would think sounds like that would becoming more from the engine side of things.....maybe oil pump? something tapping on your flex plate etc.

If it's doing it during acceleration then it might be a loose chain.

jonnyb78

yeah it doesnt sound like a t-case. what about in neutral? any noise then?

jeepopie

Mike,

What a great question. I'll go back out there and try harder to put my ear and hand on stuff. I did have the jeep on 4 jackstands yesterday and the noise was still there and my check of the drive shafts showed them tight.

But, in my old english sports car with a manual transmission, when the clutch is not pushed in, the transmission is spinning at idle. The clutch disengages the engine from the transmission so I can shift. With the shifter in idle on my Triumph, the gears are turning and the synchro's keep the gears from grinding when shifting after clutching.

Getting back to the jeep and the auto transmission, isn't the same way? All the main gears are turning at idle speed, both in the tranny and the transfer case and when you shift you are engaging the drive gears in turn? So that would mean the transfer case has a spinning metal belt in it at all times when idling?

Just my thoughts....... thanks for helping....

jeepopie

jonnyb,
Yes the noise sounds exactly the same in all gears as well as idle. My uneducated guess is that the chain belt is loose and rattling around at idle and at higher rpms it clears whatever it is hitting at idle speed.

Ps - I just went out and crawled under the car. It definitely is the transfer case. Maybe the drive chain belt loose? ......
pss- I also grabbed the outside shift yoke and it is tight and did not change the sound...

Cherokee 4.0

x2

Abovetimberline

Mine is an 89 and it also has a loud rattle on the xfer case,it is the exhaust on the passengers side hitting the cross member in idle,if I raise the idle or driving it is not there,you cannot see it either,i plan on fixing it soon,in my case it requires tightening the bolts

G_P

This is exactly what is going on. My 93 was rattling and clunking like crazy at idle and it turned out that the transmission mount was shot and sagging causing the exhaust pipe to hit the crossmember. 35 bucks and half an hour later it was replaced and now there is no more noise.

89 black

After reading all that you have said I have to agree with the others. It is not you t-case. I is probably something else rattleing and sending the noise through the jeep in other parts making it seem like it is the t-case. In the automatic the t-case will not be spinning or moving until the wheels move. So therefore while sitting in the driveway you will not have any noise from the t-case because it is not moving. Hope this helps.

jeepxjho

The t case has no moving parts at idle or anything inside of it to cause a rattling noise at idle.

Now that aside it sounds alot like the the exhaust hanagar that attaches to the crossmemeber on the pass side of the jeep has given out or is broke.

If the jeep hasnt been ran in some time and the exhaust it cool crawl underneath on the pass side and look at the exhaust that goes over the crossmember in follows right beside the transmission and t case try to wiggle it up and down and see if it moves.

Also look at the rubber hangar they are known for breaking along with the weld cracking there.

Then start the jeep and get it to where it is making the noise then crawl under the pass side and move the exhaust pipe by the crossmeber up with your hand to see if the noise goes away my bet is that it is the issue they exhaust is known for failing there and will lay on the cross member causing the noise you have.

(NOTE make sure to use a oven mitt or something to protect your hand from the heat of the exhaust while the jeep is running)